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History of the estate

Woodberry Down is an area in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, to the east of Green Lanes within a loop formed by the historic New River. Completed in 1613 by Sir Hugh Myddelton with the financial support of King James I, the New River brought fresh water from Hertfordshire for the use of Londoners. For over 200 years it was the most obvious feature of the Woodberry Down landscape.

 

In the summer of 1948 the first tenants moved in to brand new Woodberry Down estate. Many had been living in some of London’s most squalid conditions. Others had been bombed out during the Blitz. There were also ex-soldiers.

 

For those lucky enough to secure a flat on London's newest estate, Woodberry Down offered the very latest amenities. The homes were all self-contained with a kitchen and a bathroom and had hot running water – a real luxury at the time.

 

By 1953 the first phase of construction was complete and by the early 1960s the last phase, Rowley Gardens was finished. Becoming a council tenant on the new estate was not easy and there were strict rules and conditions. There were rotas for using the drying rooms in each block and tenants had to take it in turn to clean the stairs, landings and balconies. Rents were collected weekly by the council rent collector and in the early 1950s ranged from 14/6 (72.5p) for a one-bed flat to 51/10 (£2.59) for a centrally-heated five room flat in the superior eight storey block.

 

The Woodberry Down Time Line

  • 1614:   New River is completed. It is constructed to bring water from Herefordshire to London.

  • 1734:   ‘Wood Berry Down’ is named on a map.

  • 1814:   The area is described as ‘capable of improvement’ and the first ‘regeneration’ begins.

  • 1821:   Seven Sisters Road is built – the first house is constructed on the junction of Woodberry Down and Green Lanes

  • 1832:   Manor House Public House is built

  • 1833:   East and West reservoirs are dug

  • 1854:   The Filter Beds next to the reservoirs and the Castle Pumping Station are built

  • 1869:   Finsbury Park is built

  • 1874:   Woodberry Grove is marked out and ‘laid’

  • 1891:   There are 39 homes in Woodberry Down, the street, and 38 in Woodberry Grove

  • 1893:   St Olave’s Church is built

  • 1931:   Manor House underground station is constructed

  • 1936:   A report for London Country Council declares the area suitable ‘for housing and rehousing…for us in connection of over-crowding – the idea of Woodberry Down, the estate is born

  • 1939:   The outbreak of the Second World War postpones the building of the estate

  • 1946:   Work starts on the building of the estate

  • 1948:   The first of the new tenants move in

  • 1950:   Woodberry Down Primary School opens

  • 1952:   The Health Centre opens

  • 1953:   There are 6,500 people living on the estate in 1796 homes

  • 1955:   Woodberry Down Secondary School opens

  • 1962:   The construction of Rowley Gardens high rise flats is completed

  • 1985:   Thames Water announces plans to concrete over the reservoirs and Filter beds for re-development. A local protest campaign begins

  • 1993:   After seven years of struggle the local community ‘Save the Reservoirs’, and only the Filter Beds are lost to the developers

  • 2000:   Hackney Council announces new plans for the regeneration of the estate: a survey finds that 31 out of 57 blocks were ‘beyond economic repair’. The regeneration discussion begins

  • 2005:   Berkeley Homes are appointed as the developers for the regeneration scheme

  • 2009:   The first new homes are built

  • 2014:   A revised master plan is agreed

  • 2015:   The 1,000th new home is built

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